Hassan II Mosque

The Hassan II Mosque stands on a platform jutting into the Atlantic Ocean on the Casablanca waterfront, off Boulevard Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah in Morocco's Casablanca-Settat region. Commissioned by King Hassan II to mark his 60th birthday in 1989, it was designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau, and construction ran from 1986 to 1993, with the building inaugurated in August 1993. Its minaret rises roughly 210 metres, among the tallest in the world, and a laser beam projected from the top points towards Mecca at night. The prayer hall can hold about 25,000 worshippers, and the surrounding esplanade a further 80,000. Part of the hall is built over the sea, and a section of glass flooring lets visitors see the water below. The roof retracts so that the hall can be opened to the sky. The building is an example of contemporary Alaouite architecture that revives traditional Moroccan craft on a monumental scale. Thousands of artisans from across Morocco produced hand-carved cedar ceilings from the Middle Atlas, carved plaster, marble columns and mosaic zellige tilework, while the structure itself uses reinforced concrete engineered for the coastal setting. Granite and marble came largely from Moroccan quarries. Beyond the prayer hall, the complex includes ablution halls with marble fountains, a traditional hammam beneath the main hall, a library and a museum area. Visits for non-Muslims are only possible on guided tours, which cover the main hall, the ablution rooms and the hammam, and which pause around prayer times. The mosque is maintained by a dedicated foundation, and the sea-facing structure requires continuous upkeep against salt, humidity and wind. Its construction was funded partly by public subscription, which remains a point of discussion in Moroccan history. Today it is the largest mosque in Africa and one of the largest in the world, and the most recognised landmark of Casablanca.